i t is true that our roads are desolate and corruption is destroying all our facilities. bribes are paid in complete secrecy while the traffi c problem and congestion of the roads continue unabated and thousands of people who are wanted by law in connection with embezzling public money are still at large. it is true that there are people who have obtained the citizenship by producing forged documents. they continue to move freely among us with their heads high because the word ‘prosecution’ is not found in their dictionaries; the problem of bedoun remains unresolved, while the verdicts in court cases are late in coming as the cases continue to pile up. nevertheless, all these issues are small compared to the number of those who hold diplomas in the ministries of education and higher education, universities and applied institutes, and in all other ministries of the state, both citizens and expatriates. this is one of the reasons for the low level of politeness and destruction of the educational and moral levels of the entire generation. we are ranked 47th among 50 countries on the scale of the progress in international reading literacy study (pirls) which measures the levels of education for the year 2016. therefore it was not strange to see hundreds of citizens who have shamelessly formed an association of doctorate degrees (forged or fake) holders to put pressure on the government to recognize their certifi cates and employ them. personally speaking, i have stopped addressing anyone who holds the title of ‘doctor’ or write his name preceded by the letter ‘d’ not out of disrespect, but because i doubt the authenticity of the certifi cates they hold, especially after i indulge in conversation with them or reading what is written by a phd holder. the saying ‘the defects of the body are covered by a meter of cloth and the fl aws of thought are revealed only by a mere discussion’ fi ts these people. the failure of the minister of education to carry on what the former minister badr al-issa had begun to uncover the nest of wasps (the crimes committed by holders of fake and forged certifi cates) can be understood reluctantly in light of the large number of those who can be exposed and may destroy their homes and expose them because they will have to be referred to the court to recover the millions of dinars which they have ‘earned’ illegally. but i am forced to ask her, ‘what about the damage they have caused and continue to cause to the minds of the entire future generation and the youth of this nation? the offi cial statement that the investigation committee is about to complete its task is nothing but a ‘red herring’. there are at least 660 persons who hold forged doctorate certifi cates in a single institution. it is said the list of disclosures, which includes the names of those after referring 8 of them to the prosecution, has become small because of interventions. it is therefore necessary for the new minister of education, hamad al-azmi to address this issue with determination and show everyone what was swept under the carpet. the damage is big, the destruction is serious and the consequences are painful, but the silence of disclosing the names is far more dangerous to the future and morals of the entire nation. if i were a teacher or a member of an association of university teaching staff, i would inevitably feel that the charge of forgery reaches my academic and personal reputation, and it is my responsibility to defend myself. the association of teaching staff must take the initiative and put an end to this tragedy. members of the national assembly, particularly the young members, should take the issue and unearth the crime. this is an important issue because it is not less important than lifting the suspension from our sports. the mps are also under obligation to legislate a law to punish the forgers even after immunizing their status over time. it is also necessary to punish those who deliberately protect them. it may also be necessary to form a neutral committee to have a look at all the certifi cates of teachers and those who hold higher degrees, both citizens and residents who work in state institutions and the private sector. the phantom certifi cates are a major threat to society because the generation of idiots is looking for prestige and everyone has a duty and a responsibility to expose them.
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